“Neurobic” exercises are like cross-training for your brain

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Giving your brain new experiences that combine physical senses—vision, smell, touch, taste, and hearing—with emotional “sense” stimulates more connections between different brain areas, causes nerve cells to produce natural brain nutrients that dramatically help memory, and makes surrounding cells stronger and more resistant to the effects of aging. Try these brain exercises during your morning routine or your down time and see if you feel the difference.

Brush teeth with your non-dominant hand

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Research has shown that using the opposite side of your brain (as in this exercise) can result in a rapid and substantial expansion of in the parts of the cortex that control and process tactile information from the hand. Brain exercise: Brush, and don’t forget to open the tube and apply toothpaste in reverse, too. Here are more morning brain boosters to do before work.